BS EDIT: India’s gender gap: Progress with pitfalls

By Business StandardPublished On Apr 11, 2025

Rising participation

Female labour force participation is up to 41.7 per cent

Still trails men (77.2 per cent) and global average (50 per cent)

The unpaid load

Women do 10x more unpaid domestic work than men

This dual burden limits true economic empowerment

Wages improving

Urban women’s wages rose 5.2 per cent in one year

Gaps are narrowing—but slowly

Financial progress

Women now hold nearly 40 per cent of bank accounts and deposits

Demat ownership is growing too

Power imbalance

Only 13.6 per cent of Lok Sabha members are women

Political representation remains low despite local-level gains

Growth needs gender equity

India must address safety, social norms, and access

True growth depends on equal participation